Time Management for Attorneys | 10 Tips on Becoming the Most Productive Attorney

Managing time is challenging but it
follows a very simple process, especially time management for attorneys. Time
management is a concept understood by most attorneys, but mastered by few.

Attorneys can sometimes feel like
they’re constantly working overtime. Even if they work more hours in a day,
they don’t seem to be as productive as they planned to.

They are the first ones up in the
morning and the last ones to go to bed at night, and yet they still might feel
unproductive.

The question is – is time
management for attorneys as difficult as it seems to be?

I would have to say – not at all!
It just takes dedication.

With better time management skills,
you can accomplish more in a shorter amount of time and have more time for your
personal activities. It is a somewhat common knowledge that attorneys work very
long hours, and can sometimes reach the point of exhaustion.

This article will provide
great tips on time management for attorneys who want to know how to be
more productive in a shorter amount of time.

Time Management for Attorneys Begins
With Proper Planning

Right before you sleep, you should
write down what you want to get done the following day. Not only will you sleep
better with the peace of mind that you won’t forget anything, but you’ll be
able to structure your hours according to the difficulty of each task on your
list.

I would advise that you stay away
from electrical-modern organizers. I think that this is something that
technology cannot replace. When you write your daily agenda down on a piece of
paper, you will get the great satisfaction of crossing each item off the list
after completing each task!

When you keep handwritten to-do lists,
you’ll notice that you’re not only becoming a great time tracker, but you’ll be
in a competition with yourself to get to the next task on your list as quickly
as you can.

Another benefit of writing your
agenda the night before is you can visualize exactly how your day is going to
be. Planning is key! When the following day arrives, every task on the
list will be familiar to you and far less overwhelming.

Become A Better Time
Tracker

Always keep your eye on the clock and set reminders. If you must, wear a watch and set an alarm. This will allow you to always meet deadlines that you’ve given to yourself. If you don’t keep your eyes on the clock, some tasks can potentially steal time that is dedicated to other tasks.

By always being reminded of your
next task, you can make sure that you finish every task on your to-do list by
the end of the day.

When you are preparing your to-do
lists, be realistic with how much time each item on your list will take. To
become a better tracker of your time, you
must keep in mind that our minds do not work at full-throttle 100% every
second of the day.

We are not machines. Consider
taking moments to relax and recover your mind so that you can function throughout
the day.

Use the Ben Franklin method and
split your day into 4 days. If you are awake for 18 hours in a day, then split
those hours into segments of 4.5 hours. You can then focus each segment on one
task or group of tasks.

Like most ambitious people, legal
professionals have a habit of cramming a week’s worth of work in one day. This
approach can help you cut your day into smaller segments, which will help you
measure exactly how much you can get done.

Most importantly, by living by this
schedule, you are subconsciously forcing yourself to not waste any time.

Group similar tasks together to
Improve Time Management

Multitasking is effective only when
the tasks are similar to each other. For example, you can respond to people’s
emails (assuming that it is not urgent) while you are on your lunch break.

This tip on time management for
attorneys is to remind you to group certain activities together and do
them simultaneously. This will help you save a ton of valuable time that could
be used on more important activities.

Wake up earlier than you need to

If you usually have to wake up at 7
to make it the office at 8, then learn to wake up even earlier – between 5 AM –
6 AM.

The reason for this is that you
will get a head start on the day. While everyone else is still asleep and the
city’s quiet, you can dedicate this part of the day to work on the most
important tasks on your list.

Especially for lawyers, who barely
have time during the day to spend time with family, time management becomes
much easier when you can knock a few things off your agenda early in the
morning.

Strategize
Timing of Tasks to Improve Time Management for Attorneys

I am sure you understand your own energy
cycles and your work ethic. You know exactly when your energy
spikes and when it crashes. Use this data to your advantage!

If you have important tasks that
require a lot of brain power and creativity, then don’t schedule those tasks
after lunch when you’re in a full-blown food coma.

I would advise that you do the most
important tasks that involve brain power first. And depending on your morning
routine, you can complete those important tasks during the extra hours you get
early in the morning.

It’s safe to say that this step is
one of the most crucial tips for proper time management for attorneys.

Create a Mid-Day Routine to Revamp
Your Energy

If you’ve ever experienced midday
fatigue, then you owe it to yourself to develop your own personal method to
revamp your energy.

Maybe you can do 10 minutes of deep
breathing exercises outside, followed by 3-minute exercise to get
your heart rate up, then wash your face with cold water. Don’t forget
to drink some cold water to rehydrate.

1-Hour Mental Sprinting, followed by
10-Minute Relaxation

Work with 1 hour of intense focus
and speed, followed with 10 minutes of relaxation. The 1 hour of focus will
result in a spike in your energy and concentration, which will allow you to be
more productive.

After an hour of mental sprinting,
you can relax and empty your mind for 10 minutes by meditating or doing
mindless work, and then repeat the cycle.

This will lower your brain activity
so that you can recover a little bit and not burn out. Most attorneys are
familiar with mental exhaustion and how frustrating it can be.

Work without exhaustion by giving
your brain some time to recharge.

Distractions Are Silent Killers Of
Time Management For Attorneys

Our generation has given us
magnificent tools and resources to increase our productivity. Unfortunately, it
has also crippled us with an overload of distractions with social media apps,
texting, and unlimited internet surfing.

If you want to be completely
focused on your tasks, stay away from your cellphone! Checking Facebook,
Instagram, can text messages can take away a massive chunk of your time and
your focus.

One of the most important
prerequisites for improving time management is know how to eliminate distractions.
Dedicate certain hours for checking your emails, texts, and social media
accounts.

Say “No” To Favors On Your Busiest
Days

There is no need to elaborate more
on this piece of advice. In the legal profession, time is a precious
little snowflake that disappears with a blink of an eye.

Sometimes, even doing only one
favor can throw you out of your schedule. Time management is already a
challenge for lawyers as it is. So avoid doing favors for others when you
already have plenty of important urgent tasks on your agenda.

Even the smallest
favor can make you lose your productive streak. If you’re going to do any
favors for others, do them after you have done the important tasks on your
daily agenda.

In Conclusion – Better Time
Management for Attorneys

Turn these tips into habits. Make
sure you take brief notes about what we discussed here today. Keep a list of
these tips on time management for attorneys and review it several times a week.
The more you practice these tips, the sooner they will become habits. By
turning even one of these tips into a habit, you will see a tremendous change
in your productivity.